Shelter and Reconstruction in Langtang

The region of Langtang has been especially affected by the earthquake. As before, the access to the upper parts of the valley is blocked by numerous landslides. The main village of Langtang has been doubly hit by the effects of the earthquake. The newer part of the village, where houses and facilities for tourists had come up since the nineties, was hit by a 500m wide avalanche of snow, ice and debris. The old centre of the village was protected from this, however many houses there collapsed due to the shaking of the earth. A similar thing happened in the village of Kyanjin Gompa that lies above Langtang, where the majority of houses were destroyed by the earthquake. Temba Lama, a longtime friend who assisted a geographical excursion in the area in 2012, reported that a total of 170 people were dead and 70 people wounded in the two villages. The residents did not only lose family members but also the very basis of their livelihood. Many of the destroyed houses were newly constructed tourist accomodations, through which the residents sought to create a secure source of income. We want to provide long-term support to the residents in the reconstruction of their villages. However, in the short term this is also meant to support the residents of Langtang valley who were evacuated to Kathmandu, currently living there in tents. A fair distribution of aid can be assured by supporting Temba Lama, who is an elected representative of the community of Langtang in the aid organisation Community Action Nepal. He has an experience of many years in the successful organisation of social activities at the levels of both village and valley, and stands out for his strong engagement with social issues.

Langtang: before the earthquake

Langtang: before the earthquake

Langtang: before the earthquake (Mapping by students from Heidelberg, September 2012)